La Noblesse de Lorraine (The Nobility of Lorraine), Jacques Callot, 1620 - 1623
etching, h 144mm × w 92mm More details
Courtly fashion in the French ducal city of Lorraine was all about the details. Men adorned their hats with feathers, their breeches with ribbons and their shoes with rosettes. Women grew increasingly fond of lace collars, the most lavish of which consisted of several layers and a garland of pearls. Intriguingly, it is not clear whether Callot intended to portray the true nobility or the bourgeois citizens who emulated them.
